RS1: Small-Scale Multi-Unit Residential

What the zone allows

Homes allowed

Two: a duplex, a house with a secondary suite, or a house with an accessory dwelling (s. 11.1.4)

Main uses

One house or a duplex, child care; accessory dwelling, bed and breakfast, home occupation, secondary suite, short-term rental

Smallest lot for a subdivision

1,000 m², width at least a quarter of the depth; 225 m² for each half of a duplex divided by strata

Lot coverage

50%

Height limit

11 m; accessory dwellings 8 m; other accessory buildings 4.5 m

Setbacks

Front 3 m, rear 2 m, interior sides 1.2 m, exterior side 3 m (accessory buildings the same); none on the shared wall of a duplex divided down the middle

The zone's name says small-scale multi-unit, but s. 11.1.4 as printed allows two homes on a lot, fewer than the provincial floor for a town Osoyoos's size can require (the line above): ask the Town of Osoyoos how many homes it will allow.

Secondary suite: inside a single detached house, with its own door outside (s. 4.0). Child care only in a house on a lot with one home (s. 7.4).

Accessory dwelling (s. 7.2): a separate home, not joined to a building with homes in it, up to 125 m²; never strata-titled; not on a lot under 1 ha unless it is on community sewer; its parking space isn't in tandem with another use's.

Bed and breakfast (s. 7.3): in the house, up to 4 bedrooms and 8 guests, no cooking in the guest rooms, stays of at most 30 days in a row, run by people who live in the house and are there during each stay.

Short-term rental (stays under a month, s. 4.0) is a listed use (s. 7.7): up to 2 guests per bedroom, and not on a lot licensed for a bed and breakfast; in the ALR only with the Agricultural Land Commission's approval. Parking: one space per sleeping unit (s. 10.2).

Home occupation (s. 7.5): residents only, in the home or an accessory building, up to 40% of the home and 50 m²; no outdoor storage, retail limited to goods made there and remote sales; no vehicle repair, contractor's yard, animals or cannabis; one extra parking space.

Parking (s. 10.2): one space per home, suite and accessory dwelling.

Site-specific (s. 11.1.8): mobile homes are also allowed on Strata Lots 1 to 37, Strata Plan KAS2452 (9410 115th Street), and the smallest lot is 665 m² on Lot A, Plan 40584, with 53% coverage there.

A minimum lot size under 1 ha applies only to a new lot on community water and sewer (s. 8.4).

Floodplain (s. 9): no building within 7.5 m of the natural boundary of a lake, pond or marsh; living space on the Osoyoos Lake floodplain stands at or above 280.70 m (geodetic), and elsewhere 1.5 m above any other watercourse.

Accessory buildings go up only with or after the main building, never between it and the front lot line, and can't be lived in or hold a bathroom, bedroom, kitchen, wet bar or deck (s. 7.1).

Fences up to 1.2 m in the front setback and 2.0 m behind it; nothing over 1.0 m within 6 m of a street corner (ss. 6.1, 6.12).

Living in an RV or tent is prohibited, except in an RV for up to two years while a house is built under a permit (ss. 6.5, 6.6); one RV may be stored per house.

Metal storage containers only during construction under a building permit (s. 6.3); no poultry or beehives (s. 6.5).

Every zone also allows public parks, utilities, emergency services, licensed day care for up to 8 and a residence for up to 10 (6 in care) (s. 6.11).

Only the uses the zone lists are allowed (s. 5.4).

Site-specific exceptions listed in the bylaw by legal description can add or change uses for one property, and development permit areas, the ALR and building rules apply on top. Confirm with the Town of Osoyoos's planning department before you buy or build.

Source: Section 11.1 of Town of Osoyoos Zoning Bylaw No. 1395, 2024 (summarised in our words, checked 2026-10-05); zone map: Open Government Licence – Regional District Okanagan Similkameen.